Dr. Lori Leigh (she/they) is an award-winning Wellington-based artist and educator, and one of the most qualified and experienced intimacy coordinators in Aotearoa New Zealand. Lori began their intimacy training in 2019 with private training with Rachel Flesher of Intimacy Directors International (USA), and has trained with KIS since 2021, with over 500 hours of specialist intimacy coordinator training. Lori is the first graduate of KIS’s SAG-AFTRA accredited intimacy qualification programme for both stage and screen, and is now a lead instructor at KIS. Her areas of expertise are queer intimacy and dramaturgy.

Lori has a MEd in Curriculum and Instruction from Tennessee State University, a MFA in Theatre from Sarah Lawerence College, and a PhD from Victoria University of Wellington—all with honours. Lori’s research interests are early modern drama (Shakespeare), dramaturgy, gender, and sexuality, and wellbeing for artists in work cultures. Her research has been published by Palgrave Macmillan, Routeledge, Cambridge University Press, and Oxford University Press. 

For over a decade, Lori has been a Senior Lecturer in the Theatre Programme at Victoria University of Wellington. As an educator, Lori has taught intimacy workshops for Victoria University of Wellington, Te Auaha Creative Centre, Shakespeare Globe Centre New Zealand, BATS Theatre, the New Zealand International Fringe Festival, and Entertainment Technology New Zealand (ETNZ). 

Recent intimacy credits for Lori include Intimacy Coordinator for the Royal New Zealand Ballet’s (RNZB) 2022 production of Cinderella, choreographed by Loughlan Prior, which saw staged the first queer kiss of the RNZB; intimacy assistant on the SBS television series “While the Men Are Away”, and theatre productions of Sweeney Todd and The Three Sisters.

Lori is passionate about the vision and work of KIS and delighted to be part of the company’s core team. Lori is also a certified yoga teacher.